ACC is an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, and catalyzes a rate determining reaction in fatty acid metabolism. Malonyl-CoA, which is produced by an ACC catalyst reaction, inhibits fatty acid oxidation in mitochondria based on the feedback inhibition of carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1). Accordingly, ACC plays a key role in controlling the balance between use of carbohydrate and fatty acid in the liver and skeletal muscle, and further, controlling insulin sensitivity in the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
A reduced level of malonyl-CoA by ACC inhibition can promote an increase in fatty acid oxidation, decreased secretion of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein (VLDL) in the liver, regulation of insulin secretion in the pancreas, and further, improvement in the insulin sensitivity in the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
In addition, long-term administration of a compound having an ACC inhibitory action can strikingly decrease the TG content of the liver and adipose tissues and selectively decrease body fat in obese test subjects taking low fat diet, by promoting fatty acid oxidation and suppressing de novo synthesis of fatty acid.
Accordingly, a compound having an ACC inhibitory action is extremely useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of metabolic syndrome, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases associated with atherosclerosis and the like.
On the other hand the following compounds
and the like, have been reported (Analytical Sciences (1994), 10(1), pages 17-23).